Penan

Name of an indigenous people of Borneo, and their language. The Penan people are originally forest nomads and one of the 40 tribes and ethnic groups that live in Sarawak, i.e. Malaysian Borneo, though a small minority of Penan also exist in neighbouring Brunei. Although originally predominantly nomadic and living as hunters and gatherers, most communities have nowadays settled down, whilst about half of those living in Brunei have been converted to Islam. Those who still hunt in the forest do so with blowpipes, similar to the Iban (fig.). Respect for nature is an important part of the Penan people's cultural identity and which is reflected in the practice of molong, which means to preserve and to never take more than is necessary, as well as in the use of wooden ornaments called sepparoot. 回